Transmission

[nolan]

I have a 2003 Kawasaki Nomad, stock engine and pipes, 63,700 miles. Don't know if it's the trany or something else taking a dump. Yesterday was our riding about 70 miles and I left off on the throttle coming into a town and heard this noise. Sounded like brrrrit. Then on the "it" got some vibration. Today went out riding and continued to do the problem only now I shift down into 4th gear and slow down it does the same sound get vibration in the floorboards or gas tank, or handlebars or all of them. Going up the gears no problem.

I did check the motorcycle over for anything loose and all seems fine to me.

Any ideas what it might be?

[wanderer]

Have you ever replaced your clutch spring? I believe the Nomads have a "slipper" type clutch. This allows the clutch to slip some if downshifted at to high of speed, so the rear wheel doesn't lock up causing handling problems. If your clutch spring is getting weak, your clutch may be slipping on heavy deceleration also. When I first got my Nomad, I did a couple of downshifts at to high a speed and it has a unusual vibration when the "slipper" action occurs. Kind of like antilock brakes action.

I notice when the slipper kicks in on a hard downshift, the clutch lever flutters as I'm letting it out.
Did you feel anything like that? My clutch still works fine so I don't know what one will feel like when it's failing, except that it should start slipping under load.

Other common sources of vibration on a Nomad are loose engine mounts and failing u-joints on the driveline.

[nolan]

Yes, the clutch spring was replaced 10 months ago. I'd be really disappointed if it was that again. The clutch lever doesn't flutter. The engine mounts seem okay to me, don't know anything about the u-joints on the driveline. Hope I can get back to Iowa and have the motorcycle checked out there at the local Kawi shop. Thanks.

63,700 miles you say? And you replaced the spring? Any other parts? I suspect the plates are gettin' thin.

But: Does it slip under load? Like opening the throttle rapidly from a steady cruise in 5th gear at 65 MPH? Or accelerating up a hill?

[nolan]

Plates and basket were replaced with the spring at 50,000 miles.

No it does not slip under load when opening up the throttle up hill. Just makes the weird noise when I let off the throttle, like when coming into a town, I'm doing 55 to 60 mph let off on the throttle, let the engine slow the motorcycle down. Then shift into 4th gear makes the noise, 3rd, 2nd, 1st. no noise. Sometimes but not all the time when in the curves in 4th of 5th gear if I let off a little on the throttle it makes the noise.

Did have one other weird noise when I took off in 1st gear. Kind of a clunking noise a few times then was fine. Thought it was coming from the engine/tranny area. Did this twice yesterday and then was fine the rest of the day, other then the noise when I let off the throttle.

[blowndodge]

This is baffling. Have you changed to a different oil in your bike? Not that it should do anything but I've heard that some people say the transmission have started talking to them when they changed to a different oil and/or viscosity. Hmm..

Hmmmm...
I might start thinking the bevel gears or their bearings are to blame, except that the noise doesn't happen in the lower gears.

Out of curiosity, how long has it been since the rear hub and driveshaft splines were cleaned & lubed?

[nolan]

Being we travel a lot I do try to get Kawasaki oil, but sometimes I can't. So yes the change before this one was a different brand. Don't remember what it was. Have changed it since and the bike now have a little over 1,000 miles on the Kawasaki oil/change.

The rear hub and driveshaft splines were suppose to be cleaned and lubed 4,100 miles or so ago.

The only other thing I have had done was had a new rear tire put on. Can't see some one screwing that up so bad to make this noise. But the noise did start happening 70 miles after the rear tire was installed.

[Top Cat]

OK, here's the extent of my mechanical ability. Check to see if they put the tire on rotating in the right direction. There is an arrow on the sidewall that should point forward when at the top of the rotation.
Also, if it is a Metzler tire make sure it was made in Brazil or Germany,not South Africa or some place.

Originally Posted by Nolan

... But the noise did start happening 70 miles after the rear tire was installed....

Was any other service done at that time?

I've heard one should always tighten the axle bolt with the 4 rear bevel-drive bolts loose. (The 14mm acorn nuts that hold the gearcase to the swingarm.) and then tighted the 14mm nuts, as this prevents binding of the driveline. I've always done it that way, but my service manual does not mention this sequence AFAIK which means that the dealer probably won't do it that way.

I doubt this could be causing your noise, but if you can jack the rear wheel off the ground and play with it you might be able to feel some binding which would be a clue. In neutral, the wheel should turn freely without binding or unusual noises.

I have heard some stories of u-joints and front bevel gear units self destructing, and it's possible this vibration is a prelude to something expensive like that. I hope not. If either of these was failing it would make some serious vibration right before it failed very loudly.

[blowndodge]

did you ride it in for the tire change? If so the check out cadd's idea as the service bay is a place I don't want my Nomad to ever spend time in!! I know of guys who've driven in for tire change and didn't get the shaft lubed or hypo oil put in. It lasted about a few hundred miles before all hell started sounding off.

Yikes! Reminds me of this poor guy on the Pashnit forum. He went in for rear tire & his caliper bolts didn't get tightened. Some miles down the road it popped off, went sideways into the wheel and ripped everything to $#!t. Needless to say he had a serious "event" but came through it alive.

A prime reminder of why I like to do everything myself.

I did a shaft lube for buddy with a Classic & it was obvious that the middle set of splines had never been apart and had never been lubed in 30,000 miles, even though the front & rear set obviously had been. That middle set was galled and we had to knock it apart after removing the circlip. It took several hard wacks, & then we had to scrape & dress & burnish the splines before it would slide back together again.

To me that is a clear indication of lazy or ignorant mechanics.

[blowndodge]

your fortunate you got them apart. I've seen them hopelessly inseperable!!

[nolan]

No other service work done and yes I did drive it in. Unfortunately I'm not overly mechanically inclined. Can do somethings myself but otherwise have to go to dealerships. Rode some more today. No change just the same as before since Saturday.